Automobile-window



' J. P. THOMMEN.

AUTOMOBILE WINDOW.

APPLICATION FILED mus 2. 1920.

Patented Dec. 23,1920.

FIGURE 2 FIGURE 5 INVENTOR FIGURE 6 FIGURE 5 ATTORNEY UNITED STATESPATENT OFFIGE.

JOHN P. THOMMEN, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OLE ONE-HALF T0JOSEPH E. BELL AND ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH. S. GREENLEY, BOTH OF SAN JOSE,CALI- FORN'IA.

AUTOMOBILE-WINDOW.

Application filed June 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. THoMMnN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomobile-lVindows, of which the following is a specification.

In providing an automobile top with sliding windows it is necessary thatthey be held in position without rattling and accurately and firmlyseated in either .an open or a closed position.

To eflect the accurate and satisfactory seating of the window whenclosed it is customary to hang the same from overhead tracks by suitablehangers, the track being provided with suitably placed recesses toreceive the hangers when the window is closed, thereby permitting theWindow to drop into engagement with the sill and at the same time firmlyholding the same against accidental displacement.

In one form of construction now in use these recesses are made indifferent lengths as are also the hanger shoes so that in moving forwardthe larger forward shoe passes over the first and smaller recess butreadily drops into the last or larger recess at the same time that thesecond and smaller shoe drops into the first and smaller recess.

The construction above referred to has several very material faults whenput into practical use. It is necessary that the hanger shoes be ofsufficient length to ride the track easily, that requirement fixing thelength of the shorter shoe. Since the other or forward shoe must belonger it follows that its length is greater than required for easymovement in the track. Now the side of an automobile top in which thesewindows are used is curved from back to front as is also the trackreferred to; therefore in the construction described the shoes,especially the longer one, are inclined to bind. Also the forward shoein passing over the first recess makes a noise and a slight jar which ishighly objectionable. Furthermore, the expense of providing and fittingmembers of unequal size is also objectionable. Furthermore, in knownforms of construction additional means must be provided for preventingthe rear shoe from jumping the track when forced suddenly out of itsrecess.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

1920. Serial No. 385,929.

It is the object of my invention to provide a construction in which thehanger shoes may be easily, smoothly and positively moved lnto theirrespective recesses, and in which the necessity of providing shoes andsockets of different sizes is entirely eliminated, thereby simplifyingthe construction and reducing the cost of the same. Also to provide aconstruction in which the means for preventing the entering of theforward shoe into the rear recess is combined with means for preventingthe rear shoe from jumping the track.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an interior elevation of a portion of anautomobile top showing a window 1n position on a track embodying myinventlon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the part B in Fig. 1 with theforward win dow shoe passing thereover.

Fig. i is a section on line i l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail illustration of another embodiment of a portion of myinvention.

Fig. 6 is a detail side illustration of part B in Fig. l with the rearwindow shoe therein.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing 1 indicates a portion ofthe side of an automobile top, over the windows 2 and 3 of which issecured a track L that is U shaped in transverse cross-section as shown.The sliding window 3 is fitted at a point near each end thereof withshoes and 6. each shoe being made sufficiently thin to slide easily intrack 4: and preferably rhomboidai in elevation as shown. The shoes arejoined at 5 -6 to plates 5"-6 secured to window 3.

At spaced points in track 4 are formed re cesses 7 and 8 the same beingspaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of shoes 5 and 6 and ofuniform size to receive said shoes whereby the whole window may bedropped uniformly from its raised withdrawn position 9 intoengagenientwith sill 9 when moved forward.

On the upper edge of the forward shoe 6 is formed a hook 10 providedwith a rounded friction surface 11. At 13 is shown a short tracksubstantially U shaped in transverse cross-section secured to automobilebody 1 directly over recess 7 and provided with a slightly curved bottomas at 14: and having. a shoulder 14 in its under surface, rearwardlydirected.

When the construction is effected as above set forth and window 3 ismoved forwardly the curved edge 11 of hook 10 engages the curved surface14': of track 13 and carries shoe 6 over recess 7 where it continues tomove forward in track 4-until it reaches recess 8, the dimension X ofsaid shoe being such that it will readily pass under the said track. Atthis time both shoes- 5 and 6 drop into their respective recesses 7 and8 as shoe 5 does not carry a hook to engage the supplementary track 13,but is of such a width at X that it contacts with shoulder 14 and apositive engagement with said recess is effected. In reversing thedirection of movement of the window the shoe is again carried overrecess7 in a similar manner. Ordinarily there is a tendency for shoe 5 not tocatch in recess 7 as promptly as required but by providing shoulder 14above the same and slightly in advance of the forward recess edge theengagement is rendered positive. Furthermore, when the door is openedthere is a tendency for shoe 5 to fly upward upon its discharge fromrecess 7 and thereby to leave the track 4. By positioning andconstructing track section 13 as shown it not only performs thefunctions hereinbefore set forth but also acts as a stop to prevent theshoe 5 from leaving the track 1.

The bottom 14 of track 13 is curved gently and so positioned withrelation to the shoe 6 that the said shoe barely deviates from astraight line when moving forward, the front and rear ends of track 13being positioned well beyond the edges of recess 7.

It is of course clear that the hook 10 does not necessarily have to beformed as a part of shoe 6 but may be a separate part attached to window3 as shown in Fig. 5 at 15.

In addition to the particular advantages above referred to I effect amaterial saving in the cost of construction since the shoes and recessare all made the same size and interchangeable, thereby obviating thenecessity of selecting and fitting particular parts in particularplaces, and reducing the cost of producing the finished parts.

It is to be understood of course that while I have herein shown anddescribed one particular embodiment of my invention I do not wish to beconfined to the exact construction shown. I desire to include allchanges in construction, proportion and method of operation that may bemade with in the scope of the appended claims.

1. The combination with a track having spaced recesses formedthere.i11,a door, and hangers operatively mounted on said door to engagesaid track and recesses, of means operatively mounted with relation tosaid door and track and adjacent one of said recesses to carry one ofsaid hangers over said recess and permit the passing of the other hangerinto said recess.

2. Thecombination of a track provided with spaced recesses, a door,spaced hangers mounted on said door to operate on said track and toengage said recesses, a supplementary vtrack arranged over said firstmentioned track, and a shoe mounted on said door to engage saidsupplementary track whereby tocarry one of said first mentioned shoesover one of said recesses.

3. A. track provided with spaced recesses, a door, front and rearhangers mounted on said door to engage said track and recesses, a tracksection mounted over one of said recesses, and means mounted on saiddoor adjacent the forward hanger to engage said track section and carrysaid hanger over said recess.

4. A track provided with spaced recesses a door, front and rear hangersmounted on said door to engage said track and recesses, a track sectionmounted over one of said recesses, and an arm formed integrally withsaid forward hanger extending upwardly and engaging said track sectionwhereby the adjacent hanger will be carried over said recess.

5. A track provided with spaced recesses of equal dimensions, a door,front and rear shoes of substantially equal lengths mounted on said doorto engage said track and said recesses, an upwardly curved track sectionmounted over one of said recesses and a shoe mounted on said dooradjacent said front shoe and having a downwardly curving edge adapted toengage the upwardly curved surface of said track section whereby tocarry the adjacent hanger over the adjacent recess.

6. A track having front and rear recesses formed therein, a door, frontand rear hangers mounted thereon to engage said track and recesses, atrack section positioned above said rear recess, a stop positioned belowsaid track section, and means mounted on said door to engage said tracksection and carry the front hanger over said rear recess, said fronthanger being formed to pass said stop without engaging the same, andsaid rear hanger being formed to engage said stop.

7 A track having front and rear recesses formed therein, a door, frontand rear hangers mounted thereon to engage said track and recesses, andmeans arranged above said rear recess to prevent the dis placementofsaid rear hanger from said track when removed from said rear recess,said means including a stop adapted to engage said rear hanger.

JOHN P. THOMMEN.

